Crime & Safety

OC Steps Up Anti-Drunk Driving Patrols for Super Bowl

Extra Orange County Sheriff's deputies and cops from other agencies will be cruising the streets of Orange County Sunday on the lookout for drunk drivers.

Police and sheriff's deputies in Orange County will be out in force Sunday on the lookout for drunk drivers leaving bars, restaurants and Super Bowl parties.

Federal and state traffic safety agencies and the NFL have teamed up to promote the message that fans shouldn't ever drink and drive. Extra DUI patrols, in addition to the typical cohort of deputies, will be patrolling the streets.

“Before choosing to drink, choose a sober designated driver. Avoid driving drunk by handing off your keys so that you, your passengers and everyone on our roads can safely arrive home,” Deputy Wayne Howard with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Traffic Bureau said in a release. “Drunk driving is always preventable and driving drunk could result in seriously injuring or killing yourself or someone else. Motorists can expect the DUI Task Force to have a visible presence and to stop anyone who makes the dangerous decision to drink and drive.”

Find out what's happening in San Clementewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

All deputies and police will be looking for telltale signs of driving under the influence. The California Office of Traffic Safety is funding the extra DUI patrols, according to the release.

In California in 2010, 774 people were killed in DUI crashes, with more than 24,000 injured. These drunk-driving fatalities accounted for 29 percent of the total motor vehicle traffic fatalities in California, according to the release from the county.

Find out what's happening in San Clementewith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.